Nesting
by Noxtorious
Summary: While on a routine mission of destroying HYDRA bases and their projects, Sam gets hit. The remains of an experimental machine - a mix of magic and technology - have to be studied to get Falcon back to his proper age. Until then, Steve and the rest of the Avengers are stuck taking care of a four year old. Loosely connected stories of kid!Sam and the Avengers having good times.
1. Waking Up

**Note: Another delve into the MCU after finally getting to watch Age of Ultron. Holy shit it was so good. Like, character driven movies are the cream of the movie crop for me. Anyways, I've been doing kid!Sam stories on and off for the past year or so. Finally I decided to put them on here since they're already on my AO3 and Tumblr account. The chapters start out short, but they do get longer.**

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"Steve." A poke.

"Papa Steve. Wake up." Another poke.

Steve covered his head with the covers and fought back a groan. He was so tired. Who thought a stray shot of god knows what would turn Sam into an excitable four year old? An excitable four year old who thought waking up at six in the morning so 'Papa Steve' could make breakfast was okay. A tiny body climbed onto him and started tugging on the covers.

"Just one hour, Sam. The sun isn't even up yet. How did you even get in here?" Steve asked, loosening his grip on the covers.

He was greeted with a gap toothed smile and two hands squishing his cheeks. "JARVIS let me in. Come on, you promised! The Falcon wants breakfast!"

Steve relented and sat up, pulling Sam to him and tickling him. "Alright, lets get the Falcon his breakfast." he said, tucking the little boy under his arm.

Sam just laughed and held on to Steve to prepare the best breakfast ever.


	2. Eating Poptarts

**Note: Send me suggestions on my Tumblr, reviews or send off PM for me to do. I should be working on a whole bunch of other things, but I like doing this.**

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 **Summary: Thor has a problem making a serious decision. Sam decides to help him out.**

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Thor stood at the counter with a serious look on his face. In front of him were two boxes of poptarts. One was strawberry and the other was s'mores. This was a serious decision. He could have the delicious taste of the sweet jellied fruit and sugar for today. On the other hand, s'mores was best hot with the marshmallow and chocolate melding with the graham cracker taste.

He started to wonder if he should opt put and get the blueberry off the shelf when he felt a tug on the hem of his jeans. He looked down in curiosity to see little curly haired Sam wanting his attention.

"Mistah Thor, whatcha staring at?" Sam asked, standing on his tiptoes to try and peer over the counter.

Thor chuckled and bent down to pick Sam up, placing him on the counter by the poptart boxes. The little boy had a 'southern' accent, whatever that meant.

"I'm trying to decide what poptarts to eat, young Samuel."

Sam looked at the two boxes of poptarts, then at Thor, and back at the poptarts. "It's Sam. Mama used to call me Sammy sometimes. You picked like da best flavors."

He reached out and pulled both boxes towards him, holding them in his lap. His tonuge peeked out his lips as he looked at both boxes. Sam's face was just as serious as Thor's had been.

"Indeed. What would you suggest, Sam?"

There was silence until Sam raised the s'mores box in triumph. He pressed the box into the thunder god's hand and put his hand on his hips.

"S'mores is da best because you get ta pretend you're out camping! We can make a pillow fort in the living room!" he said excitedly.

"That does like a noble endeavor, Sam. I've never made a pillow fort before. How about you teach me and I can tell your tales of times my friends and I camped out in the Nine Realms?" Thor said, helping Sam down as he prepared the poptarts for the toaster.

"Really? I wanna hear all da stories, Mistah Thor!"


	3. Hawk and the Baby Bird

**Summary: Clint is the best babysitter ever.**

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Clint was so dead. Usually, when he got into situations like this, he could fix it before anyone came around. It was like the time he broke the coffee maker and JARVIS helped bail him out. This time, he wouldn't be able to get out the tower fast enough to outrun a super soldier.

"JARVIS, help me out here. Is our little falcon on this floor?"

"Mr. Wilson has made it to the Captain's floor. I believe he is going to surprise him."

Oh. No no no. Clint dropped down to the ground from the vents. Why did Sam think that was a good idea? He ran to the stairway door, not bothering to close it behind him. He jumped over the first railing, taking two stairs at a time to Steve's floor. Steve told him before he went shopping with Nat that Sam was not allowed in the vents. They were easy to get lost in and the kid would break something dropping out of them.

"Sam! Sammy! Are you up there?" Slamming the stairway door to Steve's floor open, Clint's heart skipped a beat when he heard the sounds of a body shuffling above him.

"Uh huh, I'm going to surprise Papa Steve with a Falcon leap!" Sam's face peered out from the grate Clint stood under.

Sweet Jesus in a hand basket, he could see the whole thing happening in a vision of crying and a trip to the hospital. Clint stretched out his arms and put on a smile.

"I don't think that would be good, baby bird. You might give Cap a fright. Even worse, you might crack your noggin on the way down. Come on, now."

He watched Sam open the grate and braced himself as the laughing dusty boy dropped down into his arms. A change of clothing would be in order first.

"You're funny, Clint. Can we make Papa Steve some brownies? I bet JARVIS can find us a yummy recipe online, right?" Sam said, hanging onto Clint's neck as they headed for the elevator.

"Of course, Mr. Wilson."

Clint gave a tiny shrug. "Sure, baby bird. JARVIS also won't tell Steve that I almost lost his charge in the vents when he wasn't supposed to be there in the first place, cool?"he said, glancing up at the cieling with Sam.

"Your secret is safe with me, sirs."


	4. Coolio Arm

**Summary: Sam and Bucky have a talk about his arm.**

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"Cool, is that really your arm?"

Bucky froze where he stood, metal hand clenched around an apple. Little fingers poked at his arm before he could stop it. He looked down to see Sam standing on his tiptoes and clinging on his hip for balance. He kept running his free hand on his arm, babbling over how awesome it was.

"Can do like really cool stuff with it? Oh! Is it like Inspector Gadget's arm? Do you have to say stuff and have superhero junk pop out?"

"Uh…"

On the outside, Bucky switched the apple to his other hand. Sam took advantage of his now free hand and tugged at his arm. He kept saying something like 'go go gadget' or something. Inwardly, he was panicking. He didn't deal with kids and this was a very special kid.

Wilson was the one who was helping Bucky get a semblance of a life again. After the whole blast thing, Sam took calling Rogers 'Papa Steve'. Bucky tried to avoid the kid at every opportunity, not sure how to react to him.

Now, he had to deal with a inquisitive little boy who enjoyed asking questions and giving advice. Kid advice that everyone apparently found cute or helpful in the thunder god's case.

"Uh…listen, kid. The a-" Bucky found himself cut off with another tug and Sam wrapped his arms around his forearm.

"Call me Sam, . Papa Steve calls me Sammy sometimes."he said cheerfully.

Right. Okay. The situation was too uncomfortable for Bucky to correct Sam on not calling him that. He moved carefully towards the living room, Sam swinging from his arm like a energetic monkey. Rogers was so much better at this than him. He wanted the kid to scram, but he didn't want him to cry. Telling him to leave would probably make him.

"The arm isn't my superhero or 'go go gadget' whatever you said. Don't you have some toys to play with?"

Sam didn't let go of Bucky's arm, even as the assassin sat. He reached over his lap for the remote and surfed the channels until he found a documentary on vultures. He seemed fascinated by the arm and didn't see how uncomfortable Bucky was. He leaned back onto Bucky's chest, tracing the seams of the metal plates with both eyes on the television.

"Nope. I want to watch this. It's about vultures. Did you know vultures eat really dead things and it helps prevent diseases? Birds are awesome, like how your arm is awesome." Sam said, getting more comfortable in Bucky's lap.

Bucky wasn't sure what to say to that. Still, Sam wasn't talking now unless it was to tell him about some fact he learned. He surprised himself at how comfortable he was with having a warm body cuddled up to him. He relaxed and took a bite of his apple, letting Sam tell him about how vultures were cool and gush about his arm.


	5. Sam's Flight

**Summary: Tony is in charge of Sam for the day.**

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"How are those wings, kid? I made them to be custom fit to your body. You're on the way to becoming a full bird."

Sam laughed and flapped his arms, the metal wings attached to them flexing outwards. He kicked his feet back and forth from his seat on Tony's work table. Of those little feet that kicked, only one had a sneaker on it. Tony had no idea where the other sneaker could be and he was sure Sam had no idea either.

"I love them, Uncle Tony! I can fly like a real falcon now! You think Papa Steve will enjoy seeing me fly?"

Steve wouldn't enjoy the heart attack that he would no doubt get. He was really protective over his tiny little charge. Tony was having a blast with kid Sam from what he thought would be a horrible time. Sam as a child was even more fun than when he was an adult.

"Sure, kid. He'd love it. Fold in those wings so I can do a quick adjustment and it's just Tony. Calling me uncle makes me feel old." Tony said, pulling a holo screen towards him.

Sam slid his arms out the wings and pressed a button on the straps. The wings folded in with a few clicks before settling into a backpack. Handing the backpack to Tony, he leaned forward to see what he was doing. It looked liked a bunch of squiggles and numbers to him.

"Papa Steve told me to address adults with respectful titles. You're not old enough to be a mister or a sir. Also, you're Papa Steve's friend so calling you uncle fits the best." Sam explained.

Well, when it was explained like that, it made sense. Steve was such a stickler for rules. He set the backpack on the table and fiddled with it. Too bad Cap was going to kill him when he found out about the wings. It was a masterpiece of craftsmanship. With a few more calibrations and twisting of screws, he was finished.

"Alright, Uncle Tony it is. What do you call Legolas then? Uncle Clint?" Tony teased as he helped Sam into the backpack.

"No, he's Hawk! We're birds and we're awesome. At least, that's what he said."

Tony grinned and was more than happy to know that. Clint would have to get prepared to hear how great of a 'bird' he was. Picking up two earpieces and a pair of goggles, Tony helped Sam down.

"I bet he did. Let's go to the training floor and test these out. Sound good?" Tony said as he walked to the elevator.

Sam scrambled behind him and grabbed his hand. He had an excited smile on his face. He was practically bouncing on his half sneakered feet. They had to find find that other sneaker before Steve came back.

"JARVIS, take us to the gym. Also, scan the lab for Sammy's other sneaker."

* * *

"Oh my God! Sam, what are you doing up there?!"

Huh, he didn't think Cap's voice could go so high. Tony watched Sam laugh and do a loop in the air. He landed on one of the beams above, dropping his arms. He fell back and spread his wings at the last moment, pulling up before he hit the floor. Steve let out an audible gasp and grabbed his chest with one hand. Oh yeah, Tony knew he was in trouble by the glare Cap was sending his way.

"Tony, for the love of God, tell him to get down!" Steve said frantically.

Tony rolled his eyes and put his hand on the earpiece. Obviously, fun time was over. "Tony to little Falcon, it's time to land. Your bodyguard is here."

Sam landed on a rafter and put his hand to his earpiece. He turned in their direction and swooped down to the floor. He straightened up at the last second, landing with a little stumble. Putting the wings into its backpack form, Sam barreled right into Steve. His feet were off the ground in seconds as Steve held him to his chest. Steve checked him over for any bumps and bruises, making Sam laugh.

"Papa Steve, I'm fine! Uncle Tony made me these really cool wings so I could fly! I even got these awesome goggles so I can see in the air and a spy communicator!" he said cheerfully, hugging Steve around the neck.

"Uh huh, that's really nice of him. Uncle Tony has a few things to explain, but it's time for lunch." Steve smiled and checked Sam over one more time. "Where are your sneakers?"

Sam shrugged, now focused on what they were going to make for lunch. Ton handed Steve the only sneaker they had with a sheepish smile. Steve raised an eyebrow in response to being handed one sneaker. Tony rubbed the back on his head as he rocked back on his heels. Well, he couldn't possibly make Cap more upset than he already was.

"Uh yeah, about that. The other sneaker might have been…accidentally incinerated."

"Tony!"

"It was an accident!"

"Say goodbye to Tony, Sam."

Sam said a cheerful goodbye to Tony and asked Steve if they could have pizza for lunch. Steve nodded and with one last glare at Tony, left to go take care of Sam. The doors slid behind them with a click, leaving Tony alone. He looked up at the ceiling and and saw the cleanup he had to do.

"Cap isn't going to let me babysit Sam again, is he JARVIS?"

"I believe not, Sir."

Tony couldn't help but groan. "Pepper better not find out or I'll never hear the end of it."


	6. Halloween

**Note: This was originally a Halloween post on my Tumblr. But hey, any day can feel Halloweeny right? Another chapter will be up right after this one. Gotta make for this one being so short!**

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"Papa Steve! Papa Steve! Look at the costume Ms. Pepper got me!"

Steve looked up from pouring out candy into a bowl when he felt a tug on the hem of his shirt. He smiled and looked down to see Sam grinning up at him. The little boy was dressed in a black suit with matching tie and dark sunglasses. The smile faded when he saw the backpack strapped to his back. He knew he told Tony that he didn't want Sam dealing with those wings again. It was just too dangerous.

He kept his disapproval to himself and knelt down to Sam's level. He opened his arms for a hug and laughed as Sam threw his arms around him neck.

"You look cool. What are you supposed to be? A secret agent?"

"No, silly! I'm part of the Men In Black and I'm Agent S. You can't tell anyone else, It's a secret."

Steve stifled the laugh that threatened to come out against the finger pressed against his lips. He held Sam close as he stood, seating him on the counter. He had no idea what Sam was talking about, but he was sure that he would find out soon enough. Pouring more candy into the bowl, he let Sam gush about how excited he was to go trick or treating.


	7. Cooking with the Winter Soldier

**Summary: Sam wants to cheer Bucky up after hearing Steve he's having a bad day.**

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 **Note: Also, just a teesy tiny bit of angst in this chapter. It's almost invisible.**

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"But why do you hafta go, Papa Steve? You just got back." Sam said, kicking his feet against the island.

Steve placed a plate of pancakes in front of Sam, watching the little boy pout. He didn't want to go either. He was never comfortable talking with the media and after the DC debacle, even less so.

"Sorry kiddo. I can't put it off, but I promise we'll play together when I get back. I want you to be good for JARVIS and Bruce is downstairs if you need anything."

Sam huffed and stuffed his mouth full of pancakes. It wasn't fair. Uncle Tony was somewhere doing business-y stuff. Also, Steve wouldn't let them be alone in a room after the flying incident. Hawk and Auntie Nat were out on doing cool spy missions too. He wanted to watch some bird docu-docume- tv shows with them because that was fun. He sulked and stuff his mouth with pancake. Steve bent down and pressed a kiss to Sam's forehead. He was going to be late if he didn't leave now.

"Don't pout. I always keep my promises. Finish your breakfast and try to find something quiet to do. I think Bucky isn't having a good day."

"Okay Papa."

Sam spared a glance to the hallway, knowing the metal armed man was in his room. He was a little scary sometimes, but Sam didn't think he was so bad. Humming, he drenched his pancakes in honey. Mr. Bucky probably just needed a friend and some of Papa's pancakes. As he heard the elevator leave, he got an idea.

Mr. Bucky should be up and even if he wasn't, the smell of Papa's pancakes surely woke him. He finished his stack off and used the stepping stool to get to the floor from his bar stool.

"JARVIS, is Mr. Bucky awake?" Sam asked as he carried his plate to the dishwasher.

"Mr. Barnes is awake, young sir. I believe he is in an amicable mood at the moment."

He didn't know what that meant, but he assumed it meant good. Sam smiled at hearing that and pushed a nearby stool towards the stove. He made the decision to cook Bucky breakfast. Before he could turn on the stove, a metallic cover encased the handles. Sam pouted and looked up at the ceiling.

"JARVIS! No fair!"

"I can't allow you to do use the oven without adult supervision nearby. It is dangerous."

Sam huffed and folded his arms. "But, how am I supposed to make pancakes and all the other breakfast things?"

A panel on the ceiling opened up and an slim robotic arm slid out. It grabbed a box of cereal off the top of the fridge and placed it on the island top. Sam rolled the stool to the island and spared a glance at the ceiling. It was workable, he guessed. A bowl of cereal wouldn't keep Bucky full though. He saw how much Papa Steve could eat in one sitting. He had a feeling Bucky could eat just as much.

"JARVIS? Could you help me make breakfast instead?"

"As long as the stove is not involved, young sir."

* * *

Bucky let out a deep breath through his nose as he stared out the window. He thought that the pacing would help. Instead, he was more anxious and on edge than before. He flexed his arm and stared as the metal plates interlocked. He would kill to shoot something. He paced to the other side of the room and stared out the window. He couldn't even do that.

Rogers would get upset and he didn't like seeing him that way. He meant well, but he could suffocating. Not to mention, the kid was hanging around. Even he knew that Steve was really overprotective when it came to his dependent. This was not good. He was the Winter Soil-Bucky and he wanted to punch something. He stared at his fingers, frowning as they trembled with pent up energy.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to compose himself. Rogers needed to come back soon so he could go to the gym. Maybe he would want to spar since a gun was out the question.

"Mr. Barnes, you have a visitor approaching." JARVIS said, his voice making Bucky jump into a fighting stance.

He didn't get to question who it was when the banging on the door started. Who in the hell was that? An intruder? No. The house would have told him if it was a dangerous person. Still, computers could be comprised and-

"Mr. Bucky! Are you awake? JARVIS said you were in here. Mr. Bucky!"

Oh great. It was just the kid. The kid that kept calling his name and banging on the door like it was a damn drum. He grit his teeth as the sound grated on his nerves. He stomped out the bedroom and found himself pulling the front door open forcefully.

"What do you want, kid?" he snapped, glaring at his uninvited guest.

Sam shrunk under his gaze and gave Bucky a wary smile. He didn't miss how the kid partially hid behind the serving cart he must have brought along. He must have had help from one of Stark's robots since the cart was half his height and no doubt heavy.

"I-I...uh...I made you breakfast. You d-don't have to eat it but Papa Steve made some really yummy pancakes. I wanted to make you some but Jarvis wouldn't let me get to the oven and-"

Bucky held up his hand to stop the rambling before it got any worse. It was enough to give him a headache. One of his hands rubbed at his temple just to stave it off. He looked at the serving cart and indeed it was laden with food. There was cereal and milk, yogurt, a fruit bowl, juices, and a bowl full of pancake batter. Seeing all the food reminded him that he didn't eat yet. He stared at him again and the kid still smiled at him even if he was nervous. It was a nice gesture and completely selfless. He wanted to tell the kid to get lost, but he found himself taking a bite of a pear and pushing the cart towards the kitchen.

"Thanks, kid." Bucky grumbled, finishing the fruit if in record time.

"My name is Sam."

"Right. Do you want to…" Bucky trailed off, knowing Sam wouldn't leave him alone.

He couldn't tell him to buzz off either. He did bring him food, which usually was Rogers's doing. What would Rogers do to make a kid feel comfortable?

"Do you want to help me make these pancakes?"he asked, surprising himself at the words coming out his mouth.

Sam visibly brightened and grabbed onto the handle of the serving cart to help push. Not that he needed the help except Sam looked less nervous. Bucky let him babble about how good he was making the pancakes into different shapes and flavors. The irritating itch that had been bothering him since he woke dimmed with the exuberance the kid gave off. He followed Sam to the kitchen and decided to let the kid help him. After bringing him a whole tray of food for breakfast, it was the least he could.

"Alright kid-"

"Sam! My name is Sam or call me Sammy."

Bucky rubbed his temples once again. "Right. Sam. How about I do the cooking and you can tell me how to make pancakes?"

"What? You don't know how to make pancakes?!"

Really. There was no need for such a wide eyed incredulous look. Pancakes recipes weren't high on the list of things for a sniper to remember. A frown worked its way onto his face and he clenched his metal hand into a fist. There were a lot of things that he didn't remember. A tiny hand touching his arm started him out his thoughts and he looked at Sam. The kid rolled himself to his side on a bar stool with a worried look. Bucky didn't know what to say, but he didn't need to. Sam gave his arm a squeeze and tugged him towards the stove.

"It's okay. I can teach you! Papa Steve taught me and JARVIS can help us find different ways to make them on the Internet."

How could a kid be so disarming? It had to be that earnest way he looked out for others. Or, it was the way four year olds saw the world. A semblance of a smile worked their way onto his lips as he turned on the stove. Maybe the next time Rogers had to step out, he wouldn't mind taking care of Sam.


	8. A Date

**Note: Natasha gets stood up the night before her date and to her surprise, Sam comes to the rescue.**

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Natasha put the final curls into her hair as she stared at herself in her vanity mirror. Had it really been that long without getting a date with a decent man? No, it wasn't that she was never asked out. She could think of numerous offers from various men wherever she went. She spared a glance at her cell phone to check the time before starting on her makeup. She was careful about what partners she chose, especially with all her information on the Internet.

It took time to weed out the crazies and the ones who just wanted to say they went on a date with the Black Widow. Natasha filled in her eyebrows with a practiced hand. Oliver seemed like he was an interesting fellow, at least. He was a former naval officer that spent time working behind a desk after serving for the past seven years. They shared enough in common and their last three dates went well. She had a good feeling about him.

She checked her cell phone to check the time again as she finished getting ready. Natasha wanted to finish and leave before she ran into anyone. The last thing she needed was a distraction from Tony or Clint tonight.

* * *

 **Sorry Natasha. An emergency popped up at work. I'm afraid I won't be able to make our date. Reschedule?**

 **Don't worry about it. Have a good night Oliver and don't work too hard.**

Natasha sat in the communal living area with a frown on her face. She could admit that she was looking forward to her date tonight. It would have been a good way to unwind from the week. She brushed off her little black dress she bought just for tonight. Natasha figured she could notch it up to another night by herself. Toeing off her heels, she carried them in one hand as she started for the elevator. She was almost out the room when she heard familiar voices coming towards her.

"Those were really cool falcon videos, JARVIS! Can you find me some more?"

"If you like, Sam. Might I recommend a documentary on Australian birds?"

"Yeah! You're the best, JARVIS!"

Natasha watched Sam walk down the hallway with his face near buried into a tablet. The voice of the AI came from the tablet and Sam had the biggest grin on his face. She could only laugh when he bumped into her. She steadied him with her free hand and gave him a pat on his head. He looked surprised that she was even there.

"Auntie Nat! Sorry, I wasn't paying attention and-wow! You look really pretty! Were you going out?"

She gave him a small smile at the compliment. "Thank you, Sam. I did have plans but they fell through."

Sam gave her a look that she couldn't interpret, but she knew she had his full attention. He held his tablet to his chest and rocked back on his heels. Natasha wondered what she could have said to put a thoughtful look on Sam's face. She contemplated on telling him that she had to go until he grabbed her free hand. Sam tugged her wordlessly back to the living room and made her sit down on the couch. He told her to wait there and telling JARVIS not to tattle on him, the four year old went sprinting down the hall. Natasha, for once, had no idea what made Sam run off.

"Do you have any idea what that boy is up to, JARVIS?" she said, tucking her heels on the side of the chair as she waited for Sam.

There was a short pause before JARVIS answered. "No, Ms. Romanoff. If I did, Sam has asked that I not 'tattle' on him."

Natasha chuckled at that and shook her head. Really, Sam as a child was sweet. She still could not see a difference in how adult Sam acted from the child. Children were not a strong suit of hers and she tended to avoid them. Sam had not been an exception when they first brought him into the Tower too. He was a friend and Natasha had kept her assistance at a distance.

The child version of her friend either noticed or he was just openly affectionate to everyone. A ghost of smile graced her face as she remembered the few times Sam sat down to watch tv with. He would even come to see her nearly every day regardless of where she was. Maybe that was what he was doing for her now. He wanted to drop everything just to find something they could do together. Quick footsteps alerted her that Sam was returning and she turned to see what he could possibly made her wait for.

Natasha knew the expression of having one's heart melt at the sight of something and that was what hers was doing that exact moment. Sam was dressed in one of the suits that Tony bought him complete with the Iron Man bow tie. He walked up to her and did a little bow at the waist that made her grin. This had to be the cutest thing she had ever seen.

"Did you go get dressed up to take me out on a date?" she asked, not being able to hide her smile when Sam nodded.

He puffed out his chest proudly and put his hands on his hips as he said, "Yep! Papa Steve said that no lady should never be turned down from a date. A-And you looked like you were looking forward to it because your face looked all frowny."

Natasha was surprised to hear that. Yes, she had been looking forward to the date. Did she really make a face that Sam could read over mild disappointment at best? Sam shoved his hands in his pockets as he suddenly became shy and wouldn't meet her gaze. He rustled with something before taking out a fistful of money and holding it to her.

"S-So Auntie Nat, will you on a date with me? I brought my own money so I could pay for it! We can go to any grown up restaurant that you want!" he said, cheeks flushing red.

What else could she say to that? Sam was making her heart turn into a puddle of goo with how earnest he was. A fond look came onto her face as she stood, careful of her dress as she bent down to his level. She kissed him on the cheek and pressed his fistful of money to his chest. They couldn't go to the restaurant that was booked for her cancelled date, but she could make it work.

"I would love to, Sam. I think I would like to stay in tonight. How about we order some pizza and watch a movie together?"

Sam nodded vigorously and threw himself at her, hugging her neck tight. Natasha returned the hug after a moment of surprise, standing up once she was free. She grabbed his hand and led him to the kitchen. She let Sam swing their arms while she took her phone out to call for delivery. She didn't expect for her night to turn out like this, but she could say she was glad that it did.


	9. Night Labwork

**Summary: Bruce isn't the only one who has trouble sleeping sometimes.**

* * *

Bruce pushed the bridge of his glasses up with a sigh. The formula was frustrating him and he couldn't work. He knew he needed to go back to sleep, but he was so close to a breakthrough. If he could get the right formula for the new Hulk tranquilizer, he could rest easy. He tried pouring more of the chemicals together only for his trembling fingers to spill it on the table. He let out a curse and pushed himself back from the desk. Right, he needed to go to sleep.

Why was he down here in the first place? Oh, right. He was having trouble sleeping. He could still see tanks and fire behind his eyes when they closed. Now, not only was he not tired, he was frustrated with himself.

"Dr. Banner, you have a visitor."

Bruce looked up at the ceiling in confusion at JARVIS's announcement. He took a look at his watch and saw that it was nearing two in the morning. Who could be visiting him at this hour? Tony was sleeping in his own personal lab and as far as he knew, everyone else was asleep. He swiveled around in his chair as the doors opened. Well, that was surprising. Sam stood in the doorway wrapped up in a sheet, the excess dragging behind him. Bruce could see the Black Widow pajamas he wore as he walked towards him.

Sam covered his mouth as he yawned, looking around with a sleepy gaze. He gave Bruce a tired grin as he walked over and poked his side.

"Hey, Mr. Bruce. Whatcha doing down here?" he asked.

Bruce couldn't help but chuckle and pat Sam on the head. "I think the question is what are you doing down here?" he said.

Sam looked at him with a pout and tugged his sheet closer around him. He grabbed onto the edge of the chair and settled himself in Bruce's lap. He fussed with the sheet until it was covering them both. Leaning back onto Bruce's chest, Sam tugged it close to keep warm. He didn't notice the look of surprise on the doctor's face. Bruce made himself relax and draped an arm around Sam to keep him steady.

He questioned more why Sam was up at such an hour and not in bed. Hopefully, it was not a big deal that JARVIS let him down to the labs. Even he knew Steve had a rule of Sam going down here after Tony and the flying incident.

"Well...I had a bad dream. I-It was really scary. Papa Steve was sleeping and JARVIS said that you were up so, I came down here." Sam said, his voice hesitant as he looked up at Bruce.

What could he say that? Now that he took a good look at Sam, he did look unsettled and upset. It must have been bad if he didn't want to wake up Steve. He knew enough about bad dreams that he would not ask what it was about. He hesitated before rubbing Sam gently on the back to comfort him. Sam turned instead and hugged Bruce around the neck. It nearly sent them both to the floor as the chair creaked under their combined weight. Bruce had no choice but to return the hug as Sam buried his face into his neck. He tugged the sheet closer around them.

"Hey, it's okay. Everyone gets bad dreams. I get bad dreams and they can be kind of scary."

Sam lifted his head and sniffled, his eyes wet with unshed tears. "Really?"

"Yep. It's fine to be scared, but you know what can cure that?"

"What?"

"Hot chocolate. Want to help me make some so we can get back to bed?"

Sam gave a watery smile and wiped his face with a corner of the sheet. Bruce was glad he was on point when he suggested hot chocolate. He shifted the little boy in his grip and stood. He let Sam keep a hold on the sheet as they let the lab. Maybe coming to the lab was a good idea after all. Even if he did not realize it, Sam was like a balm to his disappearing frustration. He needed comfort and Bruce was not great with such a thing anymore. He would make an exception for Sam.


	10. Building Blocks

**Summary: Sam builds and Rodney helps.**

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 **Note: Sorry if this one is really short, but enjoy!**

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Sam looked at the tower he was creating with a frown. It was half finished and nowhere near the vision he had when he started. He wanted to make his tower awesome with big triangles for spikes on top. The problem was that he couldn't reach that high up. He picked up a triangle block and walked to the left side of the tower. He only needed to get it to sit there so he could nudge it rest of the way on.

Stretching on his tiptoes, Sam tried to get the block on top. It didn't work. He tried jumping. That didn't work. What did work was the vibration his jumping had an effect on the tower. It wobbled sideways before crumbling in on itself in a heap of colorful wooden blocks.

"Oh come on! That's...no." Sam whined as he stared at the ruins of his tower.

This was the second time! It had to be talk and spiky at the top. It wasn't a real tower if wasn't all those things. Sam sat down with a sad sigh and pushed a few blocks away. He needed help. Unfortunately, the chance of receiving said help was slim.

Papa Steve had a meeting, Mr. Bucky was at the brain doctor, Auntie Nat was training the new magic lady and Hawk was with his family. He thought of Uncle Tony and pouted once he remembered he was busier than ever. He was helping Mr. Vision get settled in his home and personal stuff. Even Mr. Bruce was nowhere to be found. He was just...gone.

"It's not fair I have to play by myself!"

He flopped down on the carpet, making blocks scatter out the way. Maybe he could go look at some cartoons and ask for help later when no one was busy.

"Hey buddy, what's with the moping? Monster Sam got tired after destroying his city?" Rodney said, his voice full of amusement.

Sam opened his eyes to see the man standing above him. He pouted and rolled onto his side. He obviously was not playing monster. He would have built a city with his legos instead of blocks.

"No! I was trying to build a tower! But I can't make it big enough and it keeps falling over. Everyone is busy doing grown up stuff so I'm by myself." he said.

Rodney looked at the scattered blocks and could see where Sam was working. He was only four and he was short. The tower could only be so high. Sam was also right when he said everyone was busy. Still, he couldn't leave the kid moping on the floor.

Even Rodney could tell that Sam was upset that JARVIS wasn't around anymore. He pushed some blocks away and sat down next to Sam. Reaching out, he gave him a gentle pat on the head.

"Hey, I could help. I don't have anything else to do today."Rodney said.

"Really?" Sam said with excitement as he sat up.

"Really. When we finish, we can send a picture to Cap. I bet he would like to see it."

Sam beamed at Rodney at hearing those words. He scrambled to his feet and started to gather the blocks into one pile. Rodney couldn't help but smile as the subject of 'Papa Steve' got Sam talking. Making the kid happy was nothing more than happy addition of work to his day. If building a tower could put a smile on Sam's face, he did his good deed for the day.


	11. Breakfast Bonding Memories

Summary: Sam gets to know Vision; Vision learns something about himself.

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"Papa Steve? Who is that?"

Steve looked up from his newspaper to see who Sam was talking about. He followed his gaze until he spotted Vision sitting by himself at one of the tables in the private cafeteria. The humanoid had a plate of waffles in front of him, but wasn't eating. He was staring at it.

"That's Vision. He's uh...new." he answered, going back to his paper.

How could Steve explain that the person sitting there was part JARVIS, part Ultron and whatever the stone embedded in his head was? He didn't understand what Vision was. It would just go over Sam's head. The little boy already missed JARVIS enough. Sam made of a noise and dug into his pancakes.

That didn't stop him from looking at Vision. He watched as the humanoid tilted his head at the plate, but otherwise was silent. Sam thought his cape was pretty cool though. It reminded of Thor's billowy cape which was perfect for building forts. To him, Mr. Vision looked a little lonely. Maybe he was like Mr. Bucky and didn't remember how to eat waffles.

Sam chewed on his pancakes as he had a horrible thought. What if he never had waffles before? That was not good. With that thought in mind, Sam pushed away from his seat.

"Papa Steve, can I please be excused?" he asked.

"I don't know, can you?" Steve said as he looked up from his newspaper with a grin.

"Papa! Sorry, may I please be excused?" Sam laughed, shoving Steve in his seat.

He waited until Steve nodded and gathered his tray. He grabbed the syrup and honey, putting both on it. When he got out his chair and pulled the tray along, he didn't expect it to be so heavy. He was a big boy and big boys had a lot of strength. Sam held onto the tray tight and made his way over to Vision's table.

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"Hello Mr. Vision!"

Vision looked up from his plate and was genuinely surprised to see Sam. He watched him carefully slide his tray on his table. Grabbing an empty chair, he tugged it next to Vision's seat. He climbed into it and made himself comfortable. Vision couldn't help but wonder what the child was doing.

"Good morning, Sam. May I help you?"

"Uh huh. I wanted to know if you ever had waffles before. You were staring hard at them."

Vision turned his gaze to Sam and studied him. Sam busied himself with his pancakes and stuffed his mouth. He was content on waiting on Vision's answer. His cheeks bulged as he chewed and hummed a tuneless song to himself. He didn't know the child well, but could tell that he meant well. Whatever part of JARVIS that made up what he was acknowledged Sam as a friend.

Blurry memories of bird documentaries, childish laughter and multiple camera angles from the Tower flitted across his eyes. He tried to focus to get a clearer picture, but they eluded his grasp. Vision knew that JARVIS must have cared about Sam quite a lot. Returning the smile, Vision turned his attention back on his plate.

"No, but I have a faint memory of having done a recipe search on it. I heard from Mr. Stark that waffles were 'spectacular'."he explained.

Sam swallowed and stared at him like he said something horrible. He scooted his chair forward with a grunt to get closer to the table. Then, he sat on his knees and grabbed both the honey and maple syrup. He placed both next to Vision's plate and sat down with a pleased expression.

"Uncle Tony is right. When JARVIS...when JARVIS hung around with me, he found recipes for me that I could make with everyone. I like honey best, but maple syrup is good on waffles too." Sam said, his smile dimming as he mentioned JARVIS.

Ah. So, he did have JARVIS's memory banks and not just some of the personality of the former AI. He watched Sam go back to his meal with much less gusto than before. Vision found a frown working onto his face as he poured both gooey liquids on his waffle. The child likely wasn't telling how upset he was with JARVIS's...departure.

He needed to tell Sam something comforting. What could he say? He was not JARVIS. The AI made up a part of him and that was it. From the few blurred spots of memory he could grasp, JARVIS had been a constant in Sam's life.

It was strange. He hesitated before placing a hand on Sam's head. He ruffled his soft tight curls as gentle as possible. To his surprise, Sam leaned into his space with a sniffle. His small body was a warm spot on his side compared to his own body heat. He continued the gentle motion as he thought of what to say.

"You miss JARVIS, don't you?" Vision asked.

Sam nodded as he sniffled again, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"I think, if JARVIS were here, he would tell you not to be upset. Correct?", Sam nodded again, "He would also want you to have fun and enjoy life. In a sense, I am a child like yourself and could stand to learn many things."

Vision knew he said the right thing when Sam sat up and gave him a incredulous look. He grabbed the hand off the top of his head and played with Vision's fingers.

"No way! You're big and a grownup!"

"My body is like an adult's but I technically was only born two months ago."

Sam gaped at hearing those words before patting Vision's thigh. He slid out his seat, grabbed his tray and put in the sink. He skipped back to the table and tugged on Vision's cape.

"Then I can be your big brother! I have to show you my playground. We can go on the swings and climb the big tree! Come on! Bring your tray!"

It was the first time Vision had such a smile directed at him. It wasn't one of those half smiles his teammates gave or false like Mr. Stark's. It was filled with such earnest and innocence that he found himself returning it. He grabbed his tray and stood, immediately hovering off the floor. He put his meal in the fridge for later instead and hovered back over to the little boy. Sam gasped in wonder and walked around him in a tight circle.

"Awesome! You can fly?"

"I can. Would you like a ride?"

"Yes please!"

Vision found himself letting out a chuckle as he vanished his cape. He floated back onto the floor and knelt so Sam could get on his back. The little boy climbed on and situated himself comfortably, letting out a whoop of laughter as he rose to hover once more. As they made their way outside with Sam laughing happily in his ear, Vision couldn't help but think that his predecessor would be proud with his new relationship with Sam.


	12. Magical Crayons

Note: The final chapter! I love kid!Sam. He's my favorite. We're ending this with Scarlet Witch and on a good note for me. Quicksilver was originally going to have a chapter, but I couldn't think of one. Actually, this was going to be like Tiny Companion, but I'm fresh outta ideas. So, if anyone wants to leave suggestions, drop one in the reviews or on my Tumblr!

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Summary: Sam is an artist when it comes to making people happy.

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This was his best picture yet. He placed the finished coloring on the side and got a new piece of paper. Sam grabbed a blue crayon and started to draw, kicking his feet. He had to make the sky a dark blue before he drew the birds. He just knew that Mr. Bucky would love this one. He would hang it right up where he had his other pictures on the wall. Exchanging the blue for brown, Sam started working on the owls in the sky.

He was enjoying himself in the empty rec room. It was nice and quiet. Plus, if he wanted a refill on his cheese puffs, all he had to do was press a button. Sam was so into his work that he didn't notice that someone was sitting at the table with him. It wasn't until his pile of finished pictures was disturbed that he noticed. Looking up to see who it was, he was surprised to see it was the magic lady.

She was new like Vision was, but he was sure this was the first time he saw her. Sam knew from listening in on Auntie Nat and Papa Steve's conversation that she helped the bad Ultron robot. He knew that wasn't very nice of her. He also knew that she used to have a brother that died when they helped the rest of the Avengers. Sam wasn't sure what to think about her. While he worked on getting the owl's head just right, he sneaked a glance at her.

She was leafing through his pictures with gentle hands as not to crease the pages. Her eyes and nose were rimmed red which Sam knew that she must be sad. Losing a brother was a big deal. He was still sad that JARVIS was gone and the AI had been his best friend.

"Hi magic lady." Sam said, not looking up from his drawing.

Wanda was startled by the sound of his voice. His finished drawings went flying until a red glow covered them. The same glow came from her eyes and hands as she brought them back into a neat stack on the table.

"H-Hello...um, you are the Captain's child correct?" she said hesitantly.

"Yup. Papa Steve is the best papa ever. You're the magic lady with the brother who helped the bad robot. He hurt a lot of people." Sam replied.

Using a white crayon, he put the final touches on his drawing. He waited for her to talk back when he noticed the silence. It was uncomfortable as he didn't know her at all. He took another peek at her and was surprised. Tears slid down Wanda's cheeks, her gaze directed to the clenched hands in her lap. Oh, now he felt bad. He didn't mean to make her cry.

Sam grabbed a clean napkin and slid it over the table. Smudges of colors from his crayons peppered the cloth from his fingers. That didn't stop Wanda from using it to wipe her face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." he said.

Wanda sniffed and floated the cloth into the garbage. She looked up at Sam and gave him a weak smile. Sam had a feeling that the magic lady did not feel like smiling, but was making an effort for him. He had to make it up to her somehow.

"It's okay. I made some mistakes and I have to own up to that. It just hasn't been long since Pietro has...left me. What is your name, child? I am Wanda Maximoff." she said.

Sam nodded in agreement and reached over, patting her arm. He wondered what he could do to make her happy. It was like a light clicked on as he thought of the perfect idea. He moved the finished drawing aside and got a fresh sheet.

"I'm Sam Wilson! You can call me Sam or Sammy. Hawk calls me Falcon sometimes. Can you tell me about Pieto, Ms. Wanda? I bet he was a cool brother." he asked.

Wanda corrected him on pronunciation and launched into a cherished memory of her brother. Sam listened and drew on his fresh paper. He made sure to grab the brightest blues and grays to make it special. He wasn't sure how many stories he listened to, but he finished it. In Sam's opinion, it was the best picture he did all day. It was even than the one he did for Mr. Bucky.

Ms. Wanda would appreciate it. She wasn't a bad lady like he thought she would be. She just needed cheering up and a friend. He waited for her story to end before handing the picture over.

"I drew this for you, Ms. Wanda. You can hang it up in your room." he said cheerfully.

Wanda took the colored paper and felt tears spring to her eyes. There were two human shaped figures holding hands. She could tell the blue an white one was Pietro and the other one was herself. It was a crude child's drawing, but she loved it regardless.

"Can I give you a hug?"she asked, voice choked up with emotion.

Sam nodded and found himself swept up in a tight hug. He rested his head on her shoulder, returning the hug. Everyone deserved a hug every now and then. He knew that he did the right thing. Ms. Wanda was not a bad magic lady, she just needed someone to be close to. Sam was perfectly willing to be that friend.


End file.
